[Vwdiesel] Timing belt tension

[mark shepherd]

I have found with the 1.6TD belts, if I loosen tensioner, and then grab it 
with my hands and tension it by turning clockwise, I can then nip up the nut 
with a spanner. Rotate engine  with wratchet on crank and then check belt 
tension with the 'sliding a few mm on cam sprocket' technique with my 
thumbs...

Loren knows what I mean if no-one else ;o)

Mark


----- Original Message ----- 
From: <LBaird119 at aol.com>
To: <vwdiesel at vwfans.com>
Sent: Monday, January 19, 2009 10:19 PM
Subject: Re: [Vwdiesel] Timing belt tension


>
> In a message dated 1/19/2009 12:57:51 PM Pacific Standard Time,
> tgott at hotmail.com writes:
>
>> What I was told when I got started in the VW diesel was to tension the 
>> belt
>> so you can twist it between the cam and pump pulleys by about a 45 degree
>> angle one way or the other. Much looser and the belt can loosen and skip 
>> teeth
>> and much tighter and you can shred your belt.
>
>  The twist test was for gas engines.  If you check the newer
> manuals it say to NEVER twist the diesel belts.  Surprisingly
> they don't tend to skip teeth.  Never saw one shreded from
> being tight but it WILL wear out the pump input shaft bushing,
> and cause the belt to walk off or at least to one side thus shredding
> it, but it's from wear caused by overtightening the belt.
>  Too tight and you'll hear it "sing" whe it's running especially after
> it's warmed up.
>  Best thign I've found is hard to describe.  First is to way overtension
> it, simply enough to pull ALL the slack to the tensioner, then back off
> and retension.  What you look for is the belt shouldn't feel tight between
> the cam and the pump but it shouldn't be loose enough to have any
> "flop" feel to it either.  Frankly a tad loose is much safer than a tad
> tight.
>  I had one come in at the dealer with about 140K on it.  Never
> had been to the dealer since new.  The belt was so loose I couldn't
> believe it hadn't jumped but still, it hadn't.  :-)
>   Loren
>
>
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